Online Training: The EU Food Contact Legislation

Learning by doing: Interactive workshops and case studies will provide hands-on experience with real compliance challenges.

The training addresses the challenge of ensuring food safety for food contact materials (FCMs), particularly where EU legislation is incomplete or evolving. Participants will gain a practical understanding of:

• How the EU regulates FCMs (Framework Regulation 1935/2004, GMP Regulation 2023/2006, specific materials and substances such as plastics, recycled plastics, ceramics)

• Current hot topics such as the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), PFAS restrictions, bisphenol A phase-out, green claims, and sustainability-related measures

• How compliance is ensured through migration limits, declarations of conformity, and case law

• The role of EFSA, the European Commission, and Member States in the evaluation and enforcement of FCM law

• Know what a food contact material (FCM) is

• Understand why FCMs are regulated under food law

• Gain insight into the challenges of FCM regulation in the EU

• Apply regulatory concepts to case studies (e.g. BPA, bamboo, mineral oils)

Practical exercise 1

• Case study: What are FCMs and what are the aims of regulation?

• Group work, presentation and discussion of results

Practical exercise 2: Case law and EU Regulations

• Workshop with examples from recent EU-level cases and compliance enforcement.

• Group work, presentation and discussion of results

Case Studies on Hot Topics

Participants will apply their knowledge to current controversies and enforcement examples:

• Bisphenol A (BPA): phase-out, EFSAs TDI revision, new EU ban (2024/3190)

• Bamboo cups: melamine migration, non-authorised additives, market withdrawals

• Mineral oils in food packaging: contamination risks, monitoring and consumer organisation actions

• Joint discussion of results

Regulatory, scientific, quality assurance and legal professionals throughout the food packaging supply chain who want to keep up-to-date on the latest food packaging law developments in Europe.